Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-22
CHAPTER XIV.


cieverness has won my unbounded admira-
tion.n
--.- CHAPTER XIV.
PLAY THE FOOL, AND LEARN THE TRUTH.
When Lydia and the old Marquis had
concluded that nothing further could be
done toward rescuing the Princess, they
held consultation with Louvait The re-
suit OF this was the unanimous decision that
not only was it better, but also absolutely
necessary. that the news of the affair should
be kept from the pubhc-especially from
the newspapers. l.--4---z--
To Lydia and the Marquis this seemed i'm
possible. But Louvait assured them that if
they would place the matter entirely in his
| hands he would guarantee that the story
would soon die a natural death.
With his usual cleverness and unscrupu-
lousness in distorting the truth, he imme-
diately circulated a report which, on the
face of it, appeared SO plausible and proba-
BILE, so satisfactory an explanation of the
extraordinary disappearance of the Prin-
cess, that all who had heard about it a. once
accepted it as truth, laughed at themselves
for their Unnecessary interest and horror,
and under the supposition that the Princess
was with her family at Lake Maggiore,
dropped their talk and soon forgot entirely
about the supposed abduction.
Natalie's family, with rare good sense,
acting under the advice of the detective
and of Lydia, kept the secret so well that
no one outside of the palace knew any
thing at all of the Princess disappearance.
And soon to those who had heard of it, at
all, the abduction of the Princess Natalie
Radziwin was a thing of the past.
This was just what Jean. Louvait wanted.
Not single newspaper even referred to
the supposed false report which died shortly
after its birth. Louvait rejoiced
The sound advice of the Frenchman and of
Lady Lydia, the receipt of the bulletins, whose
place of mailing it was impossible to even
guess at-bulletins that bore the most COM
forting news, told in most chatty and con-
fdential style, which was simply impudent
together with a dainty note from Natalie
hersef-all these united to produce wait
ing-policy.
Natalie's missive was short.
81 am allowed she wrote, ssto say that
am well and treated quite like Princess;
although why am prisoner is more than
I can teu.''
Lydia, after recovering from the excite
ment naturally occasioned by her friends
disappearance, suddenly became very abb
sent-minded and diStrGit. A very unwel-
come suspicion had flashed across her mind
and deeply burned itself thereon. She held
with Louvait another consultation so skill
fully managed as not to awaken the clever
detectives suspicious. The result of this
interview was the unwilling, yet almost in
evitable formation of a theory upon her
part a theory that her whole heart was set
upon rejecting, if possible. Still she was
forced to recognize it as so probable as well
as plausible that peace Of mind could never
be hers until it were disproved.
Accordingly, one day she went to her
chaperon and constant companion, wild
owed relative, and abruptly proposed a trip
to America.
The Countess stared in surprise.
MY dear, what can you be thinking of?
Nobody but the Princess Louise, and the
wives of such officials as are obliged to go
to Canada, ever set foot in that benighted
land.''
'sWen, my dear aunt, am sorry to dis
agree with you, but / am going
there, and as you surely can't let me
go alone, you, too, are going" said this
spoiled young woman.
The Countess looked aghast and groaned
feebly She knew well the manifold whims
of her niece and the utter futility of oppos-
ing them. That young woman having taken
into her head the extraordinary notion of
going to America, there was really nothing
to do but go.
Her aunt inquired the time of departure,
supposing that, as matter of course, it
was so distant that there might be remote
possibility of her niece altering her mind
meanwhile.
''1Hd chere tante," answered Lydia, in a
quiet, decisive tone, 81 have engaged pas
sage for our party-ourselves, maids and
couriers - in the 'Servia.' That vessel
sails from Liverpool day after tomorrow
at three pm. We must leave here early
tomorrow for Craigie Castle, and the next
morning for Liverpool"
The Countess sat down on the nearest
couch and gazed at her niece as if she con-
sidered the latter bereft of her senses.
But that imperious, yet shrewd maneuver-
er sailed magnificently out of the room,
and soon her clear, firm voice was heard
issuing orders as to the disposal of her be-
1ongings.
There was no installing it all.
The Countess was in straitened circum-
stances, and depended solely on Lydia's
warm heart for the necessaries of life,
and, moreover, she simply adored the girl.
After quiet and comforting cry, all by
herself, she dried her eyes and resolved to
put the best face she could on the matter.
In experimenting the packing of their
goods and chattels she soon forgot her
grief, and actually began to take an inter-
est in the coming voyage-an of which the
observant Lydia took notice of with secret
satisfaction, as she entered the room from
time to time.
Next morning they left the village, took
the steamer at ST. AIalo for Southampton,
and at six o'clock that evening were in
Craigie Castle Here they hastily set about
collecting all the necessaries for q trip of
several weeks or more.
Lydia had previously telegraphed her
friends for letters of introduction to inf1u-
entail Americans. Several of these she
found awaiting her.
The following day, at three o'clock, they
left Liverpool in the ''Servia."
As Lydia sat that evening on the vessels
deck, with the brilliant light of a full moon
glittering upon the rolling waters of the
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